Billieg
Sr. Member
- Jul 19, 2019
- 388
- 833
- Detector(s) used
- AT-Pro - Teknetics T2 LTD
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
I just got done reading the Honorable mention forum about all the lost rings returned. I have returned many in my 30+ years of detecting too. It's the right thing to do but let me tell you a story:
In 2001 a couple and my wife and I went to South Beach Fl for a few days. I took 2 detectors and some sand scoops. The husband wanted to go hunting with me so I loaned him a detector and sand scoop. I did a quick "here is how you use it" and let him go. About an hr later I see him running towards me waving his hand and yelling something. When he got to me and calmed down he showed me a championship ring from a famous football player. (I won't even print his name and you will soon know why.
I told him you need to return it to him even if it's worth thousands and he reluctantly agreed. When he got home he tried to contact the player for 3 months with nothing but dead ends. No one would talk to him or seemed to believe him. He finally took it to a pawn shop where the owner said he didn't have enough cash to offer and gave him an auction house card to call.
He called the auction house and they sent a guy to come look at it. They asked where he bought it from and asked for a receipt. He told them he found it on the beach. They said they would get back to him and left. About 3 days later the police show up and took him down town for questioning. Seems the ring was stolen from a hotel room in Miami and they were looking at him as a suspect.
He got a lawyer which cost him a bundle and after a few weeks he proved he was in another city when the ring was stolen. They then charged him with receiving stolen goods. I went to his trial as a witness and said he found it on the beach but he had a record from when he was young of stealing from a store so they found him guilty. He got 3 yrs probation, a $2000 fine and 60 hrs of community service and another mark on his record.
Needless to say he doesn't detect anymore. So be careful what you claim to find. Class rings are usually ok but wedding bands and diamond rings could be stolen goods. What starts out as a good deed may wind up biting you in the butt.....
In 2001 a couple and my wife and I went to South Beach Fl for a few days. I took 2 detectors and some sand scoops. The husband wanted to go hunting with me so I loaned him a detector and sand scoop. I did a quick "here is how you use it" and let him go. About an hr later I see him running towards me waving his hand and yelling something. When he got to me and calmed down he showed me a championship ring from a famous football player. (I won't even print his name and you will soon know why.
I told him you need to return it to him even if it's worth thousands and he reluctantly agreed. When he got home he tried to contact the player for 3 months with nothing but dead ends. No one would talk to him or seemed to believe him. He finally took it to a pawn shop where the owner said he didn't have enough cash to offer and gave him an auction house card to call.
He called the auction house and they sent a guy to come look at it. They asked where he bought it from and asked for a receipt. He told them he found it on the beach. They said they would get back to him and left. About 3 days later the police show up and took him down town for questioning. Seems the ring was stolen from a hotel room in Miami and they were looking at him as a suspect.
He got a lawyer which cost him a bundle and after a few weeks he proved he was in another city when the ring was stolen. They then charged him with receiving stolen goods. I went to his trial as a witness and said he found it on the beach but he had a record from when he was young of stealing from a store so they found him guilty. He got 3 yrs probation, a $2000 fine and 60 hrs of community service and another mark on his record.
Needless to say he doesn't detect anymore. So be careful what you claim to find. Class rings are usually ok but wedding bands and diamond rings could be stolen goods. What starts out as a good deed may wind up biting you in the butt.....
